A transaction involving the transfer of a plot to a reputable family is at the epicentre of a federal probe that led to the arrest of Abinet Gebremeskel, a once close confidant of Mohammed Ali Al-Amoudi (Sheikh). Central to the investigations is the controversial transfer of a 1,972Sqm land in the Woreda 2 of Qirqos District, leased by Bole Towers Plc.

The property, on the prime location on Africa Avenue (Bole Road), was allegedly sold for 83 million Br.

Mullege Plc, a family business, acquired the disputed property. The company, helmed by Mustefa Awal, is one of the top coffee exporters in the country, maintaining its reputation for nearly half a century. It has invested hundreds of millions of Birr on a construction project adjacent to Bole Tower. Simeneh Kiros (PhD), representing Mullege Plc, confirmed that the property’s purchase occurred outside official channels later authenticated, hinting at further layers of complexity in this already convoluted case.

The company is currently a defendant, alongside Abinet, in a civil lawsuit over its purchase of a plot under the Bole Towers property, filed by Al-Amoudi’s lawyers.

Police alleged that Abinet conspired with the District’s Land Holding & Registration Agency officials, using his position as the company's CEO to facilitate the transfer. Such accusations brought questions about the regulatory agencies meant to oversee such transactions. Abinet made a second appearance at the Federal High Court’s criminal bench on October 10, 2023, where judges granted federal investigators 10 days to keep him under custody.

Commander Abraham Tamrat, the head of the Corruption Crimes Investigation Bureau, appealed before federal judges for a 14-day right of custody, claiming a network of individuals were involved in the case, some of whom previously occupied prominent roles in the Addis Abeba City Cabinet.

Once a close friend, Abinet’s relationship with Al-Amoudi saw him venturing into Bole Towers Plc, where he holds a 40pc share and National Oil Company (Ethiopia) Plc, sharing a 30pc stake with Tadesse Tilahun, its founding CEO. In MIDROC-Ethiopia, a business conglomerate owned by Al-Amoudi’s family, Abinet held the CEO position before having a dramatic fallout two years ago, resulting in nearly a dozen civil lawsuits exchanged between the two.

The investigations against Abinet do not end with this property transfer. Abinet’s bitter feud with Al-Amoudi led to around 10 civil lawsuits being flung at one another.